Centric occlusion indicator



Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OENTRIC OCCLUSION INDICATOR George W. Tainter, St. Charles, Mo. Application October 31, 1952, Serial No. 318,025

2 Claims. (01. 33-169) This invention relates to dental apparatus, and more particularly to means for indicating the alignment of the jaws of a patient and in determining the centric relation of the jaws, as in the construction of artificial dentures.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved centric occlusion indicator which is simple in construction, which is easy to apply to a patient, and which provides an accurate and highly amplified indication of the degree of outward movement of the temporal muscle of a patient which occurs when a properly centered bite is obtained by the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved centric occlusion indicator which involves inexpensive components, which is entirely extra-oral, which is compact in size, which provides accurate indications, and which is adapted to be engaged by the temporal muscle of a patient and to respond to an outward pulsation or movement of the temporal muscle which occurs whenever the jaws are closed properly in centric occlusion, the movement of the temporal muscle being highly amplified by the device and providing an accurate indication of centric occlusion.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a patient shown with an improved centric occlusion indicator according to the present invention operatively mounted on the patients head in the vicinity or" the patients temporal muscle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, ll designates a head band to which is secured the circular housing l2, said circular housing being formed with the central boss I3 which is pivotally engaged by the ends of the arms of a yoke I4, said yoke being rigidly connected to a stem l5 which is threadedly and pivotally connected to the end of the head band H, to support the housing [2 at a position in the vicinity of the patients temporal muscle, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Secured in the lower portion of the housing I2 is a disc [6, and secured above disc I6 in spaced relationship thereto and substantially parallel thereto is a plate member H. The side wall of the housing [2 is formed above the plate member IT with a vertical slot l8, as viewed in Figure 2. Plate member I? is formed opposite the slot [8 with the upstanding marginal lugs l9, 19 through which extends a, hinge pin 20. Pivoted on the hinge pin 20 is the elongated lever 21 which extends through the slot [8 and which is provided at its free end with an indicator ball 22, Lever ii is biased downwardly, as viewed in Figure 2, by a resilient U-shaped spring 23 having its ends secured at 24, 24 to the plate I1 and having its bight portion received in a transverse hollow roller 25 which bears on the lever 2i and exerts a downward force on said lever. The plate member ii is formed adjacent the slot ill with depending lugs 25, 26 supporting a transverse hinge pin 2?. Rotatably supported on the hinge pin 2? is a second lever member 28 which underlies the plate member ll. Rigidly secured to the free end portion of the lever 28 is the upstanding projection 29 which extends through an aperture 36 in plate member I! and which engages the bottom surface of the lever 2| adjacent its hinged connection to the pin 28. The free end portion of lever 28 engages the top end of an adjusting screw M which is threadedly engaged through the disc member it, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of the lever 28 is the vertical, internally threaded sleeve member 32 which contains the threaded shank 33. Rigidly secured to the lower end of the threaded shank 33, as viewed in Figure 2, is the contact disc 34. Secured to the top end of the shank 33 is the knurled adjusting knob 35. Shank 33 may be adjusted by means of knob 35 to move the disc 34 into engagement with the patients temporalmuscle, whereby outward expansion of the temporal muscle when the patient tests his bite will be transmitted to the lever 28, causing said lever to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, and causing the lever 2! to be rotated clockwise by the force transmitted to lever 2| by projection 29. It will be apparent that the upward movement of the indicating ball 22, as viewed in Figure 2, will be greatly multiplied in relation to the upward movement of the disc 34 caused by expansion of the patients temporal muscle because of the substantial length of the lever 2! as compared to the distance between the projection 29 and the pivot pin 20 of said lever.

Thus, an accurate indication of the degree of expansion of the patients temporal muscle will be obtained by observing the amount of movement of indicator ball 22 relative to slot 18 which occurs when the patient makes a test bite, the maximum movement of the ball 22 being obtained when the bite is properly centered.

A removable cover pad 36 of flexible material such as fabric sheet material or the like may be secured around the lower portion of the housing l2 for hygienic reasons. Said lower portion is preferably threadedly secured to the main body of the housing, as shown, to facilitate changing the fiexiblenover "pad 36.

The adjusting screw 31 is employed to move the projection 29 into engagement with the bottom surface of lever 2| at the beginning .of -a test, namely, to eliminate lost motion between projection 25 and lever 2i.

While a specific embodiment of an improved centric occlusion indicator has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to these skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

A centric occlusion indicator comprising a housing adapted to be supported on a patients head adjacent the temporal muscle, a first lever element pivotally mounted in said housing, an internally threaded sleeve rigidly secured to said 'firstlever element substantially-at right angles thereto, a shank threadedly engaged with said sleeve, aicontact disc secured to the end of said shank and adapted to be adjusted to engage the temporal muscle, a second lever element pivotally mounted in said housing substantially parallel to said first lever element, andmeansadjacent the free end of the first lever element engaging the second lever element adjacent the pivotal connection of said second lever element to the housing, said second lever element extending through the wall of the housing and providing an amplified indication of the outward movement of the temporal muscle which occurs when the patients bite is tested.

2. A centric occlusion indicator comprising a housing adapted to be supported on a patients head adjacent the temporal muscle, a first lever element pivotally mounted in said housing, an internally threaded sleeve rigidly secured to said first :lever element substantially at :right angles thereto, a shank threadedly engaged with said sleeve, a contact disc secured to the end of said "shank and adapted to be adjusted to engage the temporal muscle, a second lever element pivotally mounted in said housing substantially parallel to said first lever element, an upstanding projection rigidly secured on the free end portion of the first lever element engaging the second lever element adjacent the pivotal connection of said second lever element to the housing, said second lever element extending through the wall of thehousingand providing an amplified indication of the outward movement of the temporal muscle which occurs when the patients bite is tested, and spring means secured to said housing and engaging .said second lever element to urge ,said second lever element against said projection.

iicierences Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,555 Henrikson Dec. 19, 1905 843,043 Sigrist Feb. 5, 1-907 l,l2,697 Smith July 25, 19-16 2,130,269 Dietert Sept. 13, 1 938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 310,370 Germany June 19, 1918 591,332 Germany Jan. 26, 1930 

